“No, thanks.” Personal assistant, my ass, Eve thought. Unless they were talking very personal. “Do you live here? On the floor?”
“Yes. I am available to Mr. Greenwald at all times.”
I bet.
“How long have you worked for him?”
“It is now three years.”
“About the same amount of time you’ve been in the country?”
“Yes. I should—”
“Do you know Mr. Greenwald’s ex-wife? Lotte Grange?”
“I am sorry. I do not.” Relief washed over her face as Greenwald walked in. “Lieutenant Dallas, Mr. Greenwald.”
“Yes, Iryna, that’s fine.”
The little pat he gave her said, clearly, her assistance was very personal. It was meant to.
He held a lowball glass in one hand, offered Eve the other. “Roarke’s cop.”
He had a boom of a voice, almost jocular, that suited his waving mane of pewter hair, the amused dark eyes, the perfectly trimmed goatee.
A well-built man of about six-two, he’d dressed for an at-home evening in trousers and a sweater a few shades lighter than his hair.
He took a seat on a high-backed sofa in quiet gray, gestured for her to sit, then sat back at his ease. As if amused, he patted the cushion beside him for Iryna.
She sat primly, and obviously ill at ease.
“And what brings Roarke’s cop to my door?”
“I’m the NYPSD’s cop, Mr. Greenwald, and murder brings me to your door.”
Iryna let out a little mouse squeak; Greenwald lifted his eyebrows. “Whose?”
“Kent Abner, Elise Duran.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know either of those unfortunate people.”
“Both individuals were killed with a home-brewed chemical agent. You deal in chemicals.”
His brows went higher, then lowered again as he took a casual sip of his drink. “I deal in cleaning supplies. I hardly think you’re visiting everyone in the city who has some association with chemicals.”
“Both victims also had a connection with your ex-wife.”
“Which?” He smiled a bit. “I have two.”
“Lotte Grange.”
“Lotte? Well, this is interesting. Is she a suspect?”
“You and Dr. Grange were married when she served as headmaster at the Theresa A. Gold Academy.”
“For a few years, yes. We’ve been divorced longer than we were married.”
“When is the last time you saw or spoke to her?”